"Are you serious?" Lucy said, sitting up in bed.
"Absolutely." Tim responded, admiring her naked frame in his bed.
"You never really talked about her, why?"
Tim sighed, sitting up himself he put his arms around her and dragged her to his chest.
"Because- it still hurts sometimes." He admitted, nuzzling his head into her shoulder.
Lucy was quiet for several minutes, "do you want to talk about her?" She asked, holding his hand.
Tim took his time, he never really talked to someone about his mother. Not even Isabel knew the whole story.
"She was beautiful. Genny is the splitting image of her." He paused, remembering his mother back in the old days. "She loved riding the bike and working in her garden. She never missed one of my football or baseball games. She loved to discuss fashion and all that stuff with Genny, she was great..."
"That sounds like a really good mom babe"
"She was... but she also always looked sideways the moment dad started to hit me. When I was little, I didn't understand why, it made me so angry. How could she stand there and watch this monster beating up her kid?" Tim kissed Lucy on the head, whilst Lucy tightened the grip on his hand.
"I got older and I understood. She had no chance to end it. She had no money, no job, no shelter, nothing. She just couldn't leave with us, we would have ended up on the streets."
Lucy shed a silent tear, listening to Tim's previous life.
"Dad always hit my mother, I saw the bruises. But the moment he first laid his hands on Genny, I stood up for them. I couldn't let this monster beat up the two most important people in my life, so I made sure to always step in. The bruises faded and my mother and sister didn't had to hide their skin anymore. It was good, I was happy that they didn't had to suffer any longer." He took a minute for himself, remembering it all.
"One day she came into my room and told me how proud she was of me, and how much she loved me and Genny. I thought that was weird, she always was more of a show you not tell you person. I didn't understood that she was in a dark place. I went to the military once Genny was off to college and the other day I got a call and- and they told me my mom died in a car crash."
Lucy looked up at him, seeing his tear brimmed eyes shining down at her.
"The first responders said that it was a suicide, she drove off the street on purpose and got herself killed. I saw the autopsy report, it clearly said that she had bruises that weren't caused by the accident." He took in a shaky breath, "I went my way and left her with that abusive bastard, she couldn't take it. I-"
Lucy cut him off by turning around and crashing her body against his, she hugged him tight and tried not to cry.
"It wasn't your fault, you couldn't have known, you couldn't stay the whole time, it would have caused you your life."
"It caused hers Luce" Tim said, fighting the tears while he hugged her just as tight.
"You can't think like that Tim. You had to go out and live, staying was no option." Lucy kissed his cheek.
"She would have loved you Luce, so much..."
"I'm excited to meet her babe, tonight after shift?"
Tim nodded, "sounds perfect"
"She looked at his face, brushing her thumb over his cheek.
Lucy knew that she was distracted the whole day, she just couldn't shake Tim's story off.
"Okay, enough. What happened?" Angela asked, sitting next to her.
"I- nothing, just a rough morning." Lucy quickly said, biting into her sandwich.
"First fight as a couple? Or morning sex?" Angela asked, grabbing Lucys other sandwich.
"Ouh please, we had a couple of fights already. Can you believe that he argued with me about a fork?"
Angela grinned, "Timothy is special. So it was morning sex?"
"No no, he just- he told me something from his past that I can't let go"
Angela nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean, he definitely didn't tell me everything but enough for me to want to wrap him in bubble foil."
Lucy laughed a bit, "yes, something like that."
Angela studied Lucy for a bit, "listen, I know him for so many years now and he never was a talker, but him talking to you about his past? He trusts you so much and I love to see him comfortable with you. He deserves someone like you and you make him a better man. So thank you for making our stubborn boy happy again."
Lucy set her sandwich aside, "Ouh come on, I already cried today" she said, batting her eyes but smiling at her friend.
"You're a good friend Angela."
"Sorry I'm late, I-" Tim stopped mid sentence the moment he saw the flowers Lucy held in her hand.
"I- Uhm I thought they're pretty. First I wanted to go with roses but that's so cliche, So I thought that maybe some lavender and Irises were good as well and- please say something Tim."
He took a few steps towards her, "her favorite flower was Iris."
Lucy was taken aback for a second. "They're pretty. Your mom had good taste."
Tim smiled softly at her, "let's go, it's time for you to meet her."
The couple made their way towards Tims truck, the moment Lucy climbed into her seat, Tim kissed her.
"I love you" he said, once he parted his lips from hers.
"I love you too" Lucy replied, taking his hand.
Tim smiled softly at her before starting the car and driving off.
"Shit, I forgot the blanket"
"No problem, I've got one in my car."
They drove in comfortable silence, Lucy rubbing her thumb over Tims hand while Tim concentrated on the streets.
"There we are" he said, parking in the parking lot of an LA cemetery.
"Are you ready?" She asked him. Tim looked distressed and ready to burst into tears.
"I'm never ready walking into that place Luce. But I'm glad that you're with me."
"Do you need a minute?"
"No, let's go" he said firmly, getting out of the truck and grabbing the planked.
Lucy follows him and took his hand, in the other one she held the flowers.
Tim lead her through the gravestones, knowing exactly where he would find his mother. He stopped at a small gravestone, it was cleaned recently.
"Hey Mom" Tim said quietly before laying the blanked out, "I brought my girlfriend with me this time"
Lucy peeked a glance at the name Susan Bradford.
"Hi Susan, I'm Lucy Chen." Lucy said, laying the flowers down and sitting herself besides Tim. He wrapped an arm around her.
"So do you want to tell the story how me met, or should I?" Lucy asked him, smiling a bit.
Tim returned the smile honestly, "you're a way better story teller than I am."
"That's about right" Lucy grinned giving him a peek before turning to Susan, "okay so, your son really can be a pain in the ass." She started the story of how they met.
